When my kids were growing up, I always looked for ways to get them involved in my everyday activities. I discovered an entire world of projects that allowed my kids to help out with various garden-related tasks. Admittedly, they enjoyed some endeavors more than others, and it was interesting to see which activities they enjoyed most and which they wanted to do again and again.
Young children are immensely curious about the world around them. Simply allowing them to be present in nature allows them to start to gain an appreciation for plants and animals. Kids are fascinated with flowers, bugs, and even piles of sand and dirt.
Kids of all ages enjoy a variety of gardening projects. They can grow their own plants, nibble on edible flowers, arrange rocks, learn about pollinators, feed hungry caterpillars, or do crafts projects to add colorful artwork to the garden. If you don’t have an outdoor garden, you can grow a garden in a pot, either indoors or out.
So what are you waiting for? Read on and get ready to dive right into these 17 garden projects, and don’t forget to bring your kids along for the fun!
Grow Sunflowers
Sunflowers captivate with their rapid growth and impressive size.
If there’s one flowering plant that’s guaranteed to catch your attention, it’s a sunflower. Whether you grow 12-foot-tall giants with platter-sized flowers or dwarf varieties with more compact flowers, sunflowers are a surefire crowd-pleaser. Kids will be amazed at how fast these plants grow, especially when the sunflower towers over them and the flower is bigger than their head!
Planting sunflower seeds is as easy as it gets. You can start them indoors in a sunny window or direct sow them in a sunny plot. I find that squirrels like to dig up my sunflower seeds right after I plant them, so you may want to protect your seeds with a critter-proof cage. Keep the cage over your sunflowers until the seedlings germinate and grow to the top of the cage, then remove the cage and let your sunflowers shoot up towards the sky.
For a little extra fun, have your kids measure the sunflowers every few days and create a drawing or chart to record their growth from seedling until they can’t reach the top of the plant anymore!
Construct a Trellis
Create a simple structure for climbing plants to thrive.
Beans
Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean Seeds
Peas
Sugar Magnolia Snap Pea Seeds
Morning Glory
Sunrise Blend Morning Glory Seeds
Do you want to grow peas, beans, or morning glories in your garden? Any climbing vine appreciates having a trellis to grow on, and you can build your own trellis. There are a lot of different DIY trellis designs you can try.
You can construct a very simple trellis with a few long, straight sticks or bamboo poles. Start by anchoring two or more vertical poles in the ground so they are evenly spaced. For example, if you want to make a trellis four feet wide, use four anchor poles and “plant” one pole securely in the ground every four feet.
Now use string to securely tie horizontal cross-poles to each of the upright poles. You can allow your kids to be creative with their knot-tying or teach them some cool knot tricks. There are no right or wrong spacing rules here; your kids can help decide how they want the trellis to look.
Once your trellis is in place, it’s time to plant some seeds at its base. Kids can help choose which vines they want to grow, and of course, they can help plant and water the seeds.
Start a Container Garden
Give them their own space to grow and nurture plants.
Here’s an opportunity to give your child an entire garden to themselves. A young child may appreciate having their very own garden, and you can start them off with a single container. An older child might enjoy having a few different containers, perhaps one for flowers and one for veggies. Kids can plant their own container garden and then take care of it by watering, weeding, trimming, and harvesting.
Start your container garden in the spring. All you’ll need to get started is a large container with good drainage holes in the bottom, some potting soil or raised bed soil, and seeds or seedlings.
Choose small, container-friendly plants, and remember that a larger container can hold more plants than a small container. After planting, don’t forget to place your container garden in a sunny location and water it regularly. Kids can help out with all aspects of container gardening and these mini gardens are super fun with minimal effort!
Grow Caterpillar Plants
Plant parsley and milkweed to attract and nourish caterpillars.
Milkweed
Milkweed/Butterfly Flower Seeds
Parsley
Moss Curled Parsley Seeds
Showy Milkweed
Showy Milkweed Flower Seeds
Do you like butterflies? All butterflies start their lives as caterpillars, and caterpillars need to eat. A lot. If you would like to feed some very hungry caterpillars in your garden, grow the special plants they love to munch. Two of my favorite easy-to-grow caterpillar plants are parsley and milkweed.
Both parsley and milkweed are excellent options for container gardening, or grow them anywhere in your garden with full sun and rich, moist, well-drained soil. Remember that if you see caterpillars eating these plants, don’t harm them! These are the caterpillars that will mature and turn into the next generation of beautiful butterflies.
It takes a little patience waiting for parsley seeds to sprout, but once they do, keep an eye out for the black swallowtail butterflies that lay their eggs on the leaves and stems of these plants. If you see the adult butterflies around, you can start looking for tiny caterpillars that will grow very fast as they munch the parsley leaves.
Milkweeds are the host plants for monarch butterflies. These butterflies are active throughout the warmer months, and if you see an adult monarch in your yard, watch to see if they visit your milkweeds. Monarch eggs are pale yellow and very tiny.
After about four days, they hatch into miniature yellow, black, and white-striped caterpillars that quickly grow from two millimeters to 45 millimeters in just a few weeks. They don’t eat anything at all except milkweed, so don’t try to move them around if you see them.
Build a Birdhouse
Create a bluebird house for charming feathered friends.
If you have older children and an interest in woodworking, building a birdhouse is immensely rewarding. If you live in a place with bluebirds, you are very likely to get a pair to occupy your bluebird house as long as you follow bluebird nestbox guidelines. These birds only nest in cavities, but they’re picky about the size of the hole and the size and positioning of the box.
As long as your bluebird box is placed by February, you’re likely to get some resident bluebirds in the first year. If not, just be patient; there will be new bluebird families looking for a home the following spring, too. Did you know bluebirds can lay up to three sets of eggs each year? That’s a lot of baby bluebirds to keep track of!
Create a Rock Garden
Design a charming rock garden with your favorite stones.
Does your kid have a rock collection, or would they like to start a rock collection? Designing a small rock garden is a great way to use and display some of the many rocks, stones, pebbles, or gravel that they bring home in their pockets. If you need more than you already have, you can also buy large bags of decorative gravel and river rocks from landscape centers.
You could turn any part of your yard into a rock garden. For something compact and easy to manage, choose a relatively small area, perhaps a corner of your flower garden or a patch around a mailbox post or lamppost. To get started, plant a few easy, low-growing flowers or herbs, such as sweet alyssum and lavender in your plot. Hens and chicks, sedum, and yarrow are also excellent choices. Add as many plants as your allotted space allows.
Now, the fun part begins! Define the boundaries of your rock garden and fill in around your plants with decorative rocks. Place a large rock or two as a central focal point. If you have other artistic or whimsical garden decor, this may be a good place to use it. Try to balance several flat, rounded rocks on top of each other to create rock towers.
Install a Bird Feeder
Attract a variety of birds by setting up a feeder.
If you enjoy watching birds, install a bird feeder to attract more birds to your yard. Kids can help out with choosing a feeder, setting it up, and keeping it filled with fresh bird seed. It won’t take long before the birds find your new feeder and feast on the seeds.
Try to identify the birds you see and count how many different types of birds visit the feeder. If your family gets really into birds, sign up for a citizen science project like the “Great Backyard Bird Count” and contribute your observations for science!
Build a Raised Bed
Create a compact garden space to grow and enjoy plants.
Round Tall Metal Raised Garden Bed
Round Tall Metal Raised Garden Bed
Short Metal Raised Garden Bed
Round Short Metal Raised Garden Bed
Tall Modern Raised Garden Bed
12″ Tall Modern Raised Garden Bed
Raised bed gardens are simply fun. You create a small garden plot with ideal soil, and you can grow just about anything. Since the space in a single raised bed is limited, it’s very easy to maintain the plot. If your kids want their own garden plot that’s bigger than a container garden, raised bed gardens are the next stage.
If you’re handy with tools and supplies, you can build your own raised bed. However, if you prefer something quicker and easier, there are some fantastic ready-made raised beds that just require some simple assembly. Choose a smaller-sized raised bed to get started with, as these will be the easiest for your young gardeners to manage all by themselves.
Once you build your raised bed, your kids can decide what plants they want to grow. Starting a compact raised bed garden from scratch is very rewarding. Build your bed, fill it with soil, plant seeds or seedlings, keep them watered, and enjoy watching everything grow and flourish. Grow flowers, herbs, vegetables, or a combination of each!
DIY Decorations
Brighten up your space with colorful painted rocks.
Does your child enjoy arts and crafts? If so, they can make decorations for the garden. One of the simplest and most durable decorations you can make is painted rocks. Use stones with at least one smooth side for the easiest painting and decoration. Smooth, rounded beach cobbles work really well for painting.
Painted rocks can be decorated with an assortment of colorful designs. Place your decorations – rocks or otherwise – along the edges of your garden so you can see them amidst the flowers and greenery. If you have a rock garden, incorporate a few painted stones among the natural stones.
Older kids may enjoy painting larger objects like a fence post that can be anchored in the garden, or a 4 x 4 post that can be decorated on all four sides. Older kids can also paint designs on terracotta pots, or if they’re feeling extra creative, they can make a scarecrow.
Make a Fairy Garden
Create magical miniature homes using natural materials and imagination.
My kids learned about fairy houses at a summer camp, and after that, they always wanted to build fairy houses in the yard and garden. They created beautiful miniature houses with sticks, leaves, bark, and moss, basically using any natural material they could find.
If your kids would like to try building a fairy house, first gather a small pile of building supplies: a stack of thin, straight twigs, some large leaves, a few small clumps of moss, tree bark, a feather, perhaps some twine. Next, get creative and see if you can use your “building supplies” to build a tiny house or miniature garden.
You can decorate around the fairy house with sand, pebbles, dried flowers, or moss. Use any other materials you have on hand. Fairy houses and fairy gardens aren’t built to last, but that’s okay, they can always rebuild and repair as needed.
Grow Vegetables from Kitchen Scraps
Turn kitchen scraps into thriving plants with a little patience.
Growing vegetables from kitchen scraps is a fun way to recycle your compost and learn a little about plant propagation in the process. Did you know there are many plants you can grow from scraps? Kids will be fascinated by watching seeds, skins, and stems turn into new plants.
You can grow a new plant from cut chunks of a potato or sweet potato. You can grow an entire garlic plant from a garlic clove. Some of my favorite kitchen scrap seeds to plant are avocado, pumpkin, papaya, and dragonfruit (it’s a type of cactus!). And yes, you really can get the leafy top of a pineapple to take root and grow.
Basil and cilantro can both be propagated by cuttings. For basil, you just need a few inches of stem with at least one set of leaves, ideally from the top of the plant. For cilantro, sometimes store-bought packets of cilantro include stem clusters with a rootable base. Both of these plants can be rooted in plain water. Watch for the roots to develop, and then you can easily transfer them to a pot of soil to keep them growing in a sunny window.
Collect Seeds
Harvest and store seeds to grow new plants next season.
Another way to start your own plants is to collect seeds. Any flowering plant will produce seeds if given enough time to mature. Some very easy seeds to collect include dill, parsley, zinnia, marigold, and milkweed. Collect the seeds from these plants in the summer or fall, then sow them early the following spring to start new plants.
If you want to get a little more adventurous, look for seeds in fruits and pods. Try collecting seeds from beans, peas, okra, tomatoes, and peppers. Harvest seeds from fully ripe fruits for best germination. Separate the seeds from their fruits and lay the seeds out to dry. Once they are fully dried, store them in an airtight bag until you are ready to plant them. Don’t forget to label the bags so you remember what you’ve collected.
Start a Terrarium
Create a miniature ecosystem with plants in a glass container.
Not all garden projects need an actual garden; there are some wonderful indoor garden projects as well. Growing plants in a terrarium is like creating your very own miniature ecosystem. It’s fun and easy, and kids (and adults) love terrariums.
All you need for a terrarium is a semi-enclosed container, some potting soil, and a plant or two. You can buy special terrarium containers or repurpose a large glass container like a gallon-sized pickle jar. You’ll also need to select plants to populate your little ecosystem. Compact plants that like high humidity are ideal for an enclosed container.
Add a few inches of soil to your terrarium container, and then arrange your plants. If your kids have any little plastic dinosaurs lying around, it can be fun to add a few extinct animals to give your terrarium a prehistoric character. If you’re using a glass container, just be careful to keep it on a stable surface so it won’t slide off and break.
Plant a Mini Desert
Create a charming display with various mini succulents and cacti in pots.
Succulent gardens are another enjoyable miniature indoor garden idea that is easy to do with kids. You’ll need a broad, relatively shallow pot and a sunny window. Buy a small assortment of mini succulents and a bag of soil for cacti and succulents. If you’re working with any spiny cacti, wear gloves to protect your hands while handling them.
You can usually place several succulents together in a single large planter, but keep in mind that they will grow larger, so allow a bit of space around each one. Succulents are easy to care for and don’t require much attention after planting. Most succulents thrive on neglect, so you can spend more time enjoying them and less time taking care of them.
Watch Seeds Sprout
Watch beans and peas sprout easily in clear cups.
Most kids will be interested in learning that a giant mature oak tree starts its life as an acorn. In fact, most plants they’re familiar with start from a tiny seed. You can offer curious kids the chance to watch a seed germinate.
Some easy seeds to work with and watch up close are beans and peas. The seeds are relatively large and they readily germinate into large sprouts so you can clearly observe the entire process. There are a couple of ways you can easily observe these seeds sprouting.
The simplest method may be to place a few seeds on a damp towel in a cup or bowl. Place them in a corner of your kitchen and keep the towel moist. The seeds will germinate in a few days, and you can watch them begin to develop.
Another way to watch is to fill a small, clear plastic cup with potting soil. Place a few seeds at the very edge of the cup so you can clearly see them through the plastic. Keep the soil moist, and you can watch the seeds germinate and start to grow.
Grow Microgreens
Grow tiny greens quickly for a fresh, tasty harvest.
Mild Mix Microgreens Seeds
- Perfectly Timed Growth
- Year-Round Indoor Growing
- Quick Harvest Time
- Optimal Growing Conditions
- Diverse and Nutrient-Rich Mix
View at Botanicalinterests.com
Even if your kids don’t like to eat salads, they might like to try nibbling on microgreens. These tiny greens are super fun to grow and equally as tasty to eat. Microgreens are really just small, young versions of full-size vegetables but you don’t need to tell your kids that. Microgreens are quick and easy to grow so you won’t need to wait long to start your harvest.
One of the simplest and cheapest ways to start your own microgreens is to buy a seed mixture. You’ll also need a shallow tray with drainage holes, a water-tight tray to place below your seed tray, and potting soil. Finally, you’ll want another tray to place on top of the seed tray to block out the light so your seeds germinate in a dark and humid place.
Fill the seed tray with potting soil. Liberally sprinkle seeds across the surface of the soil. Add water to the saucer below, allowing the soil in the seed tray to soak up the moisture from below. Allow the soil to soak until it’s moist to the touch on the surface. Cover the tray and set it in a warm place. Remove the top cover every 12 hours or so and mist the seeds to keep them moist, then re-cover to keep them in the dark.
After a few days, your seeds will germinate. Keep them in the dark for another couple of days. Once you see a forest of tiny, pale-colored stems, remove the dark cover. Expose your microgreen tray to some bright sunlight for another couple of days. Keep those little seedlings misted to keep the soil moist; you don’t want them to dry out.
Once they have developed their first sets to tiny green leaves, use sharp scissors or shears to snip them off at the base. You’ll have a little pile of delicious and nutritious greens to munch fresh, add to salads, top soups, make sandwiches, or decorate crackers!
Grow Edible Flowers
Bright, edible blooms add flavor and color to meals.
Did you know that some easy-to-grow garden flowers are edible? My personal favorites are nasturtium, viola, and borage. Nasturtium flowers and young leaves have a zesty, almost peppery flavor. One of my kids makes a regular habit of snacking on these flowers. Viola has an abundance of flowers that bloom during cooler weather, even during the winter in warmer climates. Borage flowers are pollinator magnets, and these plants have soft, fuzzy leaves that are fun to touch.
Leave some flowers on your plants to attract pollinators, but harvest some for yourself as well. Use edible flowers to top salads, pizzas, ice cream sundaes, or cupcakes. These colorful little morsels are fun to grow and also fun to eat. If your kids enjoy playing with their food, use these edible flowers to decorate any of their favorite foods.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Supervise children around tools and supplies that are heavy or have sharp edges.
- Apply sunscreen if you’re going to be working outside in the sun.
- Don’t allow kids to eat plants that aren’t known to be edible.
- Watch for stinging insects and other wildlife that might cause harm.
- Learn to identify poison ivy and help your children avoid it.
No age is too young or too old to introduce kids to gardening. Children of all ages can enjoy a variety of outdoor experiences. The youngest children will be most interested in the experience of being outside, touching different textures, scooping piles of sand, or playing with water.
Preschool-aged children are able to help with simple projects that can be completed quickly, such as planting seeds. Older kids will enjoy more complex activities and be able to maintain their own mini gardens.
Want to keep your kids interested in gardening? Offer them opportunities to do the things they enjoy. Each kid is different, though, and may want to focus on different types of activities, such as science, observation, longer-term projects, or artistic projects.
For a longer-term project, allow your kid to plant their own container garden. When you go out to tend your garden, offer them child-friendly gardening supplies and a watering can so they can take care of their garden. Allow them to get dirty and have fun in the garden. Give them simple tasks so they can feel that they’re helping out, and do the work together as a team.
